Parents Of Sandra Fluke Are Proud Of Their Articulate, Law School Educated, ‘Slutty’ Daughter
Young Sandra Fluke has had quite the week. The third year Georgetown University law student has been making the TV rounds responding to Rush Limbaugh‘s comments that the accomplished and articulate woman is a “slut” and a “prostitute” for her outspoken birth control advocacy. But if her composure and eloquence isn’t enough to counter such outrageous misogyny, her parents are very proud of their little girl taking a stand– as well they should be.
Sandra had previously tried to testify at the congressional committee hearing sounding off about Obama‘s rule requiring heath plans to cover birth control coverage. She was not allowed to testify, but participated in a mock hearing in which she reportedly shared a story of friend who ultimately lost her ovary because she could not procure contraception. Rush Limbaugh zeroed in on Sandra Fluke for her positions, telling listeners on his radio show that ”she must be paid to have sex.”
In a separate broadcast yesterday, Limbaugh voiced the following in response to scrutiny:
”The reaction that they are having to what I said yesterday about Susan Fluke — or Sandra Fluke, whatever her name is — the Georgetown student who went before a congressional committee and said she’s having so much sex, she’s going broke buying contraceptives and wants us to buy them,” Limbaugh said. ”I said, ”˜Well, what would you call someone who wants us to pay for her to have sex? What would you call that woman? You’d call ’em a slut, a prostitute or whatever.’”
Rush Limbaugh aside, this type of rhetoric and slander is a culturally common way to discredit women who voice their opinions. Rush’s quotes are obscenely offensive and derogatory, and yet with such sexually-charged insults, Sandra can now find herself suddenly in the company of even our most respected female government officials, such as Elizabeth Warren who was called a “socialist whore” by someone who disagreed with her. “Whore” and “slut” are unfortunate and time-honored ways to reduce women’s credibility while disengaging with them, something even Georgetown University’s president seems to be aware of. [tagbox tag=”slut-shaming”]
President John J. DeGioia — of a Catholic university, mind you — emailed a statement out to students this morning speaking highly of Sandra’s ”right to respectful free expression”:
”She was respectful, sincere, and spoke with conviction. She provided a model of civil discourse…And yet, some of those who disagreed with her position including Rush Limbaugh and commentators throughout the blogosphere and in various other media channels responded with behavior that can only be described as misogynistic, vitriolic, and a misrepresentation of the position of our student.”
And the praise for this articulate young woman keeps on coming, with President Obama personally paying Sandra a phone call. He reportedly found Limbaugh’s insults to be ”reprehensible, they were disappointing.” Today, Fluke told Andrea Mitchell that Obama also mentioned what pride her parents must feel at having such a smart, articulate, and dedicated young woman for a daughter:
”He encouraged me and supported me and thanked me for speaking out about the concerns of American women, and what was really personal for me was that he said to tell my parents that they should be proud.”
Sandra added that without the President’s encouragement, her parents have already expressed their pride. And given how gracious and civil this bright young lady has behaved in spite of being publicly degraded as a “prostitute,” what parents wouldn’t want to lay claim to Sandra Fluke’s poise?
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(photo: kunc.org)
